Roses
by Cersia2
Summary: While recovering from an injury in sickbay, Tasha receives a gift of Roses from a mysterious admirer. (Repost)


I've decided to repost this since deleting it over a year ago.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Tasha wearily opened her eyes. By the bright lights of the room and the sound of shuffling feet she figured she was not in her quarters. Her last memory was of a phaser type weapon being fired in the Captain's direction and she had launched herself into the air to intercept the blast.

_Sickbay_, she wearily thought, _I must be in sickbay_.

As if to confirm her theory, Doctor Crusher arrived at her bedside. "Hey there."

Tasha offered the Doctor a small smile. "Got me out of another scrap, eh?"

"Yes, it would seem so," she said pointing to the other side of the bed. "You have flowers by the way."

Tasha smiled and turned her head. _Roses_. She hadn't expected flowers at all. But _Roses._ And a dozen of them. Her eyes quickly searched for a card. "There's no card."

Beverly wondered who had wondered who had sent them. She suspected it was the security team that had done the deed. "Yeah it's a great mystery yet to be solved."

Tasha turned her attention back to Doctor. "How…how long do I have to stay here?"

Beverly's face creased into a smile. "Couple of days. Then a little physical rehabilitation."

"Great…" she acknowledged as her voice trailed off. And now for the question of the hour. "The Captain is—"

"Fine. He's just fine," she said with as door to sickbay opened. "Speaking of the devil."

"Hello, Lieutenant." The Captain was wearing his 'I'm your friend' face. It was her favorite one to see.

She sighed with relief and added a smile for good measure. "Captain, it's good to see that you were unharmed."

"Yes," he nodded as he took the seat next to where her flowers were sitting on a stand. "But what price did I have pay for my safety."

_Must I explain it again?! _"It's my job, sir. I'm to ensure the safety of everyone—"

"Including the safety of my Security Chief," he interjected.

"Understood," she nodded.

"Now back to the subject I came here to ask about," he said with a concerned smile. "How are you feeling?"

Tasha laughed. How was she suppose to feel? "Achy, annoyed, and happy."

The smile remained on Picard's face. "I can understand the others, but happy?"

_Time to go for broke. _"The flowers cheered me up a bit. Thank you, sir."

"Thanks for what?"

"The flowers, sir, they cheered me up." And they had made her feel better. No one had ever given her flowers before. She wondered what was next? Candy? A proposal?

"I'm glad to hear that," Captain Picard replied as he examined the roses in front of him. "Though, I'm quite embarrassed to say that I didn't send them. Roses are a romantic gift rather than a get-well gesture. Carnations are—"

"Jean-Luc, you're spoiling her present. I wish someone would send me roses every once in a while."

"Perhaps if you socialized more, Beverly, someone would."

"What are you implying?" Beverly asked moving a hand to her hip. "That I don't have a social life?"

_Oh no here we go._ "I'm really tired," announced Tasha.

"Beverly, I wouldn't exactly call being a member of the book of the month club," advised Picard tersely, "socializing."

"And I suppose your social life has a wider berth than mine? I don't see how getting cozy with a book every night constitutes a social life either."

_Stop! Stop! Stop! _"Um…I'm feeling like I could go to sleep now," interjected Tasha.

"All I'm saying is that if you want flowers as a romantic gift you should probably make an effort to socialize outside of sickbay."

"Says the bachelor to the widow," said Beverly mocking his advice.

_Okay that's it. _"I'll just go get some coffee." Tasha declared as she started to sit up.

"Oh no you don't," said Beverly pushing Tasha back into bed. " Jean-Luc was just leaving."

"But I've only just arrived," he argued as Beverly strolled around the bed and started to pull him to a stand.

"Say goodbye to the Captain, Tasha," ordered Beverly.

"Goodbye, Captain," giggled Tasha. _Those two. If I didn't know better…._

"Of course," said Picard pulling his arm out of Beverly's grip. "I'll see you later then, Lieutenant."

Tasha watched them as they had a brief conversation at the doors of sickbay. All signs pointed to a deeper relationship than just Captain of a starship and CMO. He wasn't afraid to hold her hands while they talked and then there was that brief peck on his cheek before he left that sent her mind wondering. Tasha turned her attention back to the roses after he had left. Who would send her such a gift? As she continued to consider the possibilities her eyelids grew heavier until sleep overtook her will to figure out who had sent them.

* * *

Someone was shaking her.

"Tasha?"

Someone very persistent was shaking her.

"I'm tired…leave me alone," Tasha grumbled.

"Tasha, you have a visitor." Tasha opened her eyes as ordered and saw Beverly hovering over her.

"Who?" _Worf? Blantin? Koseveski?_

"Over there." Beverly pointed to the other side. "He's been waiting patiently for three hours for you to wake up."

_Three hours? Who would wait that-_"Data?" she asked recognizing the android when she turned to face her visitor. She was curious as to why _he_ wanted to visit her. He never seemed the _type_ to visit anyone. He was always working or socializing with the senior staff and she was she was only senior staff by position only, which generally always left her out of the loop.

"Lieutenant," he said in such a formal tone it was as if he was part of a promotion board.

"Call me Tasha, please," she groaned. She was glad the good Doc was still here otherwise she would have melted into the bed from embarrassment. The hospital attire was less than accommodating as far as fit or coverage. With that thought she pulled the covers up to her neck. She didn't know why she felt so vulnerable after all he'd seen her with less on. A lot less! "I'm not exactly on duty."

"How are you feeling, Tasha?" he asked plainly.

"Horrible," she groaned.

Data nodded as if he had expected the response. "Had you not thrown yourself in the line of fire, I'm sure—"

Beverly sighed and shook her head. "Data this is not exactly the time for a reprimand."

Data turned his attention to Beverly. "I was not reprimanding her. I was merely stating that she would not be—"

"Enough Data," admonished Beverly. "This isn't exactly the right time for an after action report either. You're here to visit her. Aren't you?"

Data nodded. "Yes I am."

"Then don't talk about the situation that got her into this mess," said Beverly turning her attention to the overhead readouts above Tasha's bed. "Talk about something else," she advised.

"Ah. But you do realize that my visit would not be necessary if Tasha had been—"

"Data!"

"Of course," said Data turning his attention back to Tasha.

"Now I'll leave you two to your rat killing," said Beverly leaving them both alone.

"I was not aware that killing rodents was cus—"

"Data, it's an expression," said Tasha laughing at his response. "It means that she is going to leave us alone to talk."

"Ah."

What was there to talk about her friend the android? Friend as an acquaintance. Friend as in…"So I see you guys got out okay."

"Yes, though you are very lucky that the Zariekan's phaser malfunctioned or else you would have been fatally wounded."

"Thanks for pointing that out, Data." She sighed. Typical Data always pointing the obvious out, no matter how painful it was to remember.

"You are most welcome, Tasha," said Data.

What else was there to talk about? The functioning of the ship's computer network security systems? _He'd probably enjoy that._ But maybe he could enlighten her as to who…"I've got roses."

Data didn't bother to look at the flowers in question, instead, he continued to keep his gaze on her. "I am aware of that fact."

"Any idea who could've sent them to me?" _Or can you hack into the computer system and find out._

"Yes, indeed I do," said Data not offering anymore information than that.

Tasha smiled. Had he seen who bought them? Did someone brag? "Who was it then?"

"I sent them," he said plainly.

_What?!_ "Why?" She tried to sit up but the pain caused her to fall back onto the bed.

"I sent them out of concern for a close friend who has been injured in the line of duty," he said.

"Data, but you sent roses," she sighed. _Surely he knows what roses mean._ "As the Captain pointed out when he was here earlier, roses are considered a romantic gift not a 'get-well-soon' bouquet."

"I consider that given the nature of our close relationship," he paused, "that roses were indeed in order."

How long had he considered them close…"Data, we aren't exactly close—."

"I believe we are," he corrected her. "We are regularly assigned to the same shift. We are sent on away missions together on a regular basis and we have had sexual relations as well."

There it was. He had blatantly said 'sexual relations' as if he was ordering ice cream. _If_ he every ordered ice cream. "I told you that it never happened," she sighed.

"Does it concern you that you had sex with me?"

Again he used the word 'sex' in the ice cream tone. "To be honest yes and no," she admitted. _Better get over with now before he says 'sexual relations' or 'sex' while referring to her during a mission briefing._ _Now that would be awkward!_ "I'm ashamed that it occurred under the circumstances it did," she explained turning her gaze to the sickbay doors rather than him, "and what some people might think of me if they found out," she sighed while turning her gaze back on him. "But I'm not so ashamed that I want to wipe away the entire incident."

"I believe I understand now. You do not consider me sentient. A common misperception and bias humans have regarding my existence," he said plainly.

_Want a cherry on top of your scoop of ice cream then? _"That isn't exactly right either," she said holding out her hand and offered him a smile. He gave her his hand, thankfully still attached to the rest of him. "You see, the more I get to know you the more 'real' you become, if you know what I mean by that." Data acknowledged his understanding with a nod. "It's everyone else that doesn't know you very well who would consider a romantic relationship with you—a bit out of place." It was the truth.

"You feel that there would be reprisals against you and perhaps myself if the nature of our relationship would come to light?" he queried.

"Even these days, Data," she sighed, thinking of all the different pairings she's seen since joining Starfleet. "Some people would probably call us a strange couple."

"Does that concern you?"

"Sometimes," she breathed. She'd been avoided this conversation for months now. But, she thought, _better now than never._

He hummed and nodded acknowledgement. "Then I will make a concerted effort to keep our relationship on a professional level."

"No…," she sighed. The only man on the ship to send her roses was an android. Somehow it made them even more special. "I said sometimes, Data," she said, flashing him another quick smile.

She would expect a human who had emotions with an amorous attachment to her to send her flowers. But to have an android who preferred to busy himself with quantum mechanics rather than spending time in 10 forward or elsewhere? Well that was what made it…_special_.

"I am confused at your meaning, Tasha."

She quickly petted his hand. "To us humans Data, a relationship isn't a on or off function," she explained. "It's about how much a person is willing to give to a relationship that makes it special," she said. Math. She had to give him some sort of ratio. A moment passed before she came up with an idea. "I suppose you could measure the value of a relationship as a ratio of level of involvement to relatability between two or more beings."

"So you are saying that humans have a set percentage that they give each relationship?" he asked almost in wonderment at the discovery. "Most interesting."

"…and over time that value can either increase or decrease," she stated flatly. _I hope this is right. If not it might take him years to figure it out the right way._ "I'm not a counselor like Troi but I know that the relationship quality between any two sentient beings is related their enjoyment of the experience of being with one another." _That sounds right._

"I can not feel joy," Data told her. "But I do place a value the reciprocated response that my presence has on others."

"See you do have emotions, Data," she laughed. "It's just that they aren't like ours."

"I do not have natural emotions that would allow me to act or react correctly in a personal social situation."

It had sounded like a warning. It was almost as if every time someone mentioned emotions, someone had programmed an automatic response in him to ward off people from forming a deep attachment to him. "Don't beat yourself up over this, your doing fine," she reassured him with another smile and another quick pat on the hand.

"I am not beating myself up, Tasha," he said, "I am incapable of self-harm except in defense of another."

She laughed at his response, so much so that her side began to ache again."Seems we do have something in common."

"I believe you are referring to our willingness to defend others."

"Yes, Data," Tasha nodded. "While you may value someone due to some algorithm that's been programmed into you by your creator; it's no different from how humans value someone," she said, stressing the word value. "It's only different because, us humanoids are programmed to use our emotions to determine the value of a relationship with someone. What's comes natural for us may in fact may not be natural for you."

"So you are saying you comprehend our differences and similarities?"

"To a point," she admitted and shrugged. "I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not a genius in cybernetics or relationships," she said and laughed at her own admission.

"But your ethical values that you have expressed during this conversation tell me that…"

"I didn't become Chief of Security because I'm pretty, Data," she said. Ethics courses were of course a mandatory for all Starfleet personnel but doubly so for those who specialized in security.

"Of course you did not," he acknowledged again with a nod. "I am quite certain that your service record with Starfleet is quite impressive."

"You're quite the charmer, Data," she said as her smile grew bigger. _Flattery will get you everywhere. _"You really know how to get to a girl's heart."

"That is not correct," he corrected her. "My medical training is highly limited and it would be unwise to allow me perform such a delicate and dangerous operation."

"Too late," she laughed. "You already did," she said wrapping her hands around his neck. It hurt, but not enough to dissuade her from her next plan of action.

"As I said before I have not—"

Beverly glanced up from her desk just in time to see Tasha firmly plant her lips on Data's mouth. She smiled as they parted and Tasha took his hand. "So that's who sent the roses," she laughed.


End file.
